62
Sources: Gems Of Divine MysteriesThese were the very words and utterances used by the pagan Arabs living
in the days of Muhammad to dispute with and pronounce judgement against
Him. They said: "Those who believed in Muhammad dwelt in our midst and
associated with us day and night. When did they die and when were they
raised again to life?" Hearken unto that which was revealed in reply: "If
ever thou dost marvel, marvellous surely is their saying, 'What! When we
have become dust and mouldering bones, shall we be restored in a new
creation?'"(40) And in another passage: "And if thou shouldst say, 'After
death ye shall surely be raised again', the infidels will certainly
exclaim, 'This is naught but palpable sorcery.'"(41) Thus did they mock
and deride Him, for they had read in their Books and heard from their
divines the terms "life" and "death", and understood them as this
elemental life and physical death, and hence when they found not that
which their vain imaginings and their false and wicked minds had
conceived, they hoisted the banners of discord and the standards of
sedition and kindled the flame of war. God, however, quenched it through
the power of His might, as thou seest again in this day with these
infidels and evil-doers.
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57 The Kissing Of Hands Hath Been Forbidden In The Book #34
In a number of earlier religious Dispensations and in certain cultures the kissing of the hand of a religious figure or of a prominent person was expected as a mark of reverence and deference to such persons and as a token of submission to their a... 57: O Son Of Dust! Beware! Walk Not With The Ungodly And Seek
O SON OF DUST! Beware! Walk not with the ungodly and seek not fellowship with him, for such companionship turneth the radiance of the heart into infernal fire. ... 57: O Son Of Man! Bestow My Wealth Upon My Poor That In Heaven
O SON OF MAN! Bestow My wealth upon My poor, that in heaven thou mayest draw from stores of unfading splendor and treasures of imperishable glory. But by My life! To offer up thy soul is a more glorious thing couldst thou but see with Mine eye. ... 58
Know then that the paradise that appeareth in the day of God surpasseth every other paradise and excelleth the realities of Heaven. For when God--blessed and glorified is He--sealed the station of prophethood in the person of Him Who was His Friend, ... 58 To None Is It Permitted To Seek Absolution From Another Soul #34
Baha'u'llah prohibits confession to, and seeking absolution of one's sins from, a human being. Instead one should beg forgiveness from God. In the Tablet of Bisharat, He states that such confession before people results in one's humiliation and ab... 58: O Son Of Man! The Temple Of Being Is My Throne; Cleanse It Of
O SON OF MAN! The temple of being is My throne; cleanse it of all things, that there I may be established and there I may abide. ... 58: O Son Of My Handmaid! Wouldst Thou Seek The Grace Of The Holy Spirit
O SON OF MY HANDMAID! Wouldst thou seek the grace of the Holy Spirit, enter into fellowship with the righteous, for he hath drunk the cup of eternal life at the hands of the immortal Cup-bearer and even as the true morn doth quicken and illumine t... 59
Were I to recount all the verses that have been revealed in connection with this exalted theme, it would weary the reader and divert Us from Our purpose. The following verse shall therefore suffice Us; may thine eyes be solaced therewith, and mayest ... 59 Amongst The People Is He Who Seateth Himself Amid The Sandals
by the door whilst coveting in his heart the seat of honour. 36 Traditionally in the East it has been the practice to remove sandals and shoes before entering a gathering. The part of a room farthest from the entrance is regarded as the head of ... 59: O Heedless Ones! Think Not The Secrets Of Hearts Are Hidden Nay
O HEEDLESS ONES! Think not the secrets of hearts are hidden, nay, know ye of a certainty that in clear characters they are engraved and are openly manifest in the holy Presence. ... 59: O Son Of Being! Thy Heart Is My Home; Sanctify It For My Descent
O SON OF BEING! Thy heart is My home; sanctify it for My descent. Thy spirit is My place of revelation; cleanse it for My manifestation. ... 5: O Son Of Being! Love Me That I May Love Thee If Thou Lovest Me
O SON OF BEING! Love Me, that I may love thee. If thou lovest Me not, My love can in no wise reach thee. Know this, O servant. ... 5: O Son Of Dust! Verily I Say Unto Thee: Of All Men The Most Negligent
O SON OF DUST! Verily I say unto thee: Of all men the most negligent is he that disputeth idly and seeketh to advance himself over his brother. Say, O brethren! Let deeds, not words, be your adorning. ... 6
Now that the discourse hath reached this exalted and intractable theme and touched upon this sublime and impenetrable mystery, know that the Christian and Jewish peoples have not grasped the intent of the words of God and the promises He hath made to... 6 We Have Relieved You Of A Greater Number #6
The requirements for obligatory prayer called for in the Babi and Islamic Dispensations were more demanding than those for the performance of the Obligatory Prayer consisting of nine rak'ahs that was prescribed in the Kitab-i-Aqdas (see note 4). ... 60
Ponder then, O My friend, the words "firm faith" that have been mentioned in this verse. It saith that the heavens and the earth, the throne, the sun and the moon, all have been created to the end that His servants may have unswerving faith in His pr... 60 And Among The People Is He Who Layeth Claim To Inner Knowledge #36
This is a reference to people who claim access to esoteric knowledge and whose attachment to such knowledge veils them from the Revelation of the Manifestation of God. Elsewhere Baha'u'llah affirms: They that are the worshippers of the idol which ... 60: O Friends! Verily I Say Whatsoever Ye Have Concealed Within
O FRIENDS! Verily I say, whatsoever ye have concealed within your hearts is to Us open and manifest as the day; but that it is hidden is of Our grace and favor, and not of your deserving. ... 60: O Son Of Man! Put Thy Hand Into My Bosom That I May Rise Above
O SON OF MAN! Put thy hand into My bosom, that I may rise above thee, radiant and resplendent. ... 61
He, however, who denied God in His Truth, who turned his back upon Him and rebelled, who disbelieved and made mischief, the verdict of "impiety", "blasphemy", "death", and "fire" was passed upon him. For, what blasphemy is greater than to turn unto t... 61 How Many A Man Hath Secluded Himself In The Climes Of India
denied himself the things that God hath decreed as lawful, imposed upon himself austerities and mortifications 36 These verses constitute the prohibition of monasticism and asceticism. See the Synopsis and Codification, section IV.D. 1.y.iii.-i... 61: O Son Of Man! A Dewdrop Out Of The Fathomless Ocean Of My
O SON OF MAN! A dewdrop out of the fathomless ocean of My mercy I have shed upon the peoples of the world, yet found none turn thereunto, inasmuch as every one hath turned away from the celestial wine of unity unto the foul dregs of impurity, and,... 61: O Son Of Man! Ascend Unto My Heaven That Thou Mayest Obtain
O SON OF MAN! Ascend unto My heaven, that thou mayest obtain the joy of reunion, and from the chalice of imperishable glory quaff the peerless wine. ... 62
These were the very words and utterances used by the pagan Arabs living in the days of Muhammad to dispute with and pronounce judgement against Him. They said: "Those who believed in Muhammad dwelt in our midst and associated with us day and night. W... 62 Whoso Layeth Claim To A Revelation Direct From God
ere the expiration of a full thousand years 37 The Dispensation of Baha'u'llah will last until the coming of the next Manifestation of God, Whose advent will not take place before at least a full thousand years will have elapsed. Baha'u'llah ca... 62: O Son Of Dust! Turn Not Away Thine Eyes From The Matchless Wine
O SON OF DUST! Turn not away thine eyes from the matchless wine of the immortal Beloved, and open them not to foul and mortal dregs. Take from the hands of the divine Cup-bearer the chalice of immortal life, that all wisdom may be thine, and that ... 62: O Son Of Man! Many A Day Hath Passed Over Thee Whilst Thou
O SON OF MAN! Many a day hath passed over thee whilst thou hast busied thyself with thy fancies and idle imaginings. How long art thou to slumber on thy bed? Lift up thy head from slumber, for the Sun hath risen to the zenith, haply it may shine u... 63
At this hour, when the sweet savours of attraction have wafted over Me from the everlasting city, when transports of yearning have seized Me from the land of splendours at the dawning of the Daystar of the worlds above the horizon of 'Iraq, and the s... 63 This Is That Of Which We Gave You Forewarning When
We were dwelling in 'Iraq, then later while in the Land of Mystery, and now from this Resplendent Spot. 37 The Land of Mystery refers to Adrianople, and this Resplendent Spot is a reference to Akka. ... 63: O Son Of Man! The Light Hath Shone On Thee From The Horizon Of
O SON OF MAN! The light hath shone on thee from the horizon of the sacred Mount and the spirit of enlightenment hath breathed in the Sinai of thy heart. Wherefore, free thyself from the veils of idle fancies and enter into My court, that thou maye... 63: O Ye Peoples Of The World! Know Verily That An Unforeseen Calamity Followeth
O YE PEOPLES OF THE WORLD! Know, verily, that an unforeseen calamity followeth you, and grievous retribution awaiteth you. Think not that which ye have committed hath been effaced in My sight. By My beauty! All your doings hath My pen graven with ... 64
Know then that "life" hath a twofold meaning. The first pertaineth to the appearance of man in an elemental body, and is as manifest to thine eminence and to others as the midday sun. This life cometh to an end with physical death, which is a God-ord... 64 Amongst The People Is He Whose Learning Hath Made Him Proud
who, when he heareth the tread of sandals following behind him, waxeth greater in his own esteem 41 In the East, the practice has been for followers of a religious leader, out of deference, to walk a pace or two behind him. ... 64: O Oppressors On Earth! Withdraw Your Hands From Tyranny For I Have
O OPPRESSORS ON EARTH! Withdraw your hands from tyranny, for I have pledged Myself not to forgive any man's injustice. This is My covenant which I have irrevocably decreed in the preserved tablet and sealed with My seal. ... 64: O Son Of Man! My Eternity Is My Creation I Have Created It For
O SON OF MAN! My eternity is My creation, I have created it for thee. Make it the garment of thy temple. My unity is My handiwork; I have wrought it for thee; clothe thyself therewith, that thou mayest be to all eternity the revelation of My everl... 65
The first life, which pertaineth to the elemental body, will come to an end, as hath been revealed by God: "Every soul shall taste of death."(42) But the second life, which ariseth from the knowledge of God, knoweth no death, as hath been revealed af... 65 Nimrod #41
The Nimrod referred to in this verse is, in both Jewish and Islamic traditions, a King who persecuted Abraham and whose name became symbolic of great pride. ... 65: O Rebellious Ones! My Forbearance Hath Emboldened You And My
O REBELLIOUS ONES! My forbearance hath emboldened you and My long-suffering hath made you negligent, in such wise that ye have spurred on the fiery charger of passion into perilous ways that lead unto destruction. Have ye thought Me heedless or th... 65: O Son Of Man! My Majesty Is My Gift To Thee And My Grandeur
O SON OF MAN! My majesty is My gift to thee, and My grandeur the token of My mercy unto thee. That which beseemeth Me none shall understand, nor can anyone recount. Verily, I have preserved it in My hidden storehouses and in the treasuries of My c... 66
O My brother! Forsake thine own desires, turn thy face unto thy Lord, and walk not in the footsteps of those who have taken their corrupt inclinations for their god, that perchance thou mayest find shelter in the heart of existence, beneath the redee... 66 Aghsan #42
Aghsan (plural of Ghusn) is the Arabic word for Branches. This term is used by Baha'u'llah to designate His male descendants. It has particular implications not only for the disposition of endowments but also for the succession of authori... 66: O Children Of The Divine And Invisible Essence!
O CHILDREN OF THE DIVINE AND INVISIBLE ESSENCE! Ye shall be hindered from loving Me and souls shall be perturbed as they make mention of Me. For minds cannot grasp Me nor hearts contain Me. ... 66: O Emigrants! The Tongue I Have Designed For The Mention Of
O EMIGRANTS! The tongue I have designed for the mention of Me, defile it not with detraction. If the fire of self overcome you, remember your own faults and not the faults of My creatures, inasmuch as every one of you knoweth his own self better t... 67
In this connection We will relate unto thee that which was revealed of old concerning "life", that perchance it may turn thee away from the promptings of self, deliver thee from the narrow confines of thy prison in this gloomy plane, and aid thee to ... 67 Revert To The People Of Baha #42
Baha'u'llah provides for the possibility that the line of Aghsan would terminate prior to the establishment of the Universal House of Justice. He designated that in such a situation endowments shall revert to the people of Baha. The term people of... 67: O Children Of Fancy! Know Verily That While The Radiant Dawn Breaketh
O CHILDREN OF FANCY! Know, verily, that while the radiant dawn breaketh above the horizon of eternal holiness, the satanic secrets and deeds done in the gloom of night shall be laid bare and manifest before the peoples of the world. ...